Trolley wire hanger



Oct. 31, 1933.

c. A. CAWOOD TROLLEY WIRE HANGER Filed July 15, 1931 Clarence/7.6a wood Mum Patented Oct. 31, 1933 1,932,725 TROLLEY WIRE HANGER Clarence A. Cawood, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The Electric Railway Equipment Company,

Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 13, 1931. Serial No. 550,361

2 Claims. (Cl. 191-43) This invention relates to improvementsin a trolley Wire hanger and has for an object the provision of a device wherein bendable ears of sheet metal are so mounted on the hanger casting as to be renewable after the ears have worn thin in service, thereby reducing the replacement and renewal expense.

Another object is to provide a structure of this kind wherein the mounting means for the bendable ears is also adapted to receive and electrically connect a feed wire terminal with the bendable ears and the wire held by them.

Another. object is to provide cooperating means on the bendable member and casting to sustain the impact of the current collector and thus relieve the securing means of the force thereof.

Another object is to provide a means of this kind, the use of which enables the lineman to effect removal and replacement of both the wire supporting ears and the feed wire terminals without having to remove the hanger casting from its mounting.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in cross section howing the trolley wire hanger of the invention with trolley wire and feed wire operatively connected thereto.

Fig. 2 is a view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a View taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the device showing the position of the ears prior to bending the Wire.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental longitudinal crosssectional View of a modified form of the device.

Fig. 6 is a view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing another modification of the device of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a view taken on line 88 of Fig. 7.

I-Ieretofore trolley wire hangers of this general class have consisted of a suitable bronze casting of elongated design with an initially U- shaped sheet metal member adapted to receive the trolley wire between the arms thereof whereupon the arms or cars are bent about opposite sides of the wire to form a thin holding tube for thewire. The trolley wheel rides over the slit tube thus formed at the suspending points and eventually wears it through to such extent that it no longer holds the wire satisfactorily. In heretofore known designs the connection between the bendable sheet tube and casting was permanent so that the entire casting with its attached tubular holder was discarded and replaced by a new one from time to time.

In the present invention a hanger casting body 6 has a boss 7 with an internally threaded socket to receive a suitably insulated supporting stud. The body 6 is elongated on either side of the boss '7 and has a generally arcuate groove 9 along the bottom thereof. On opposite sides of the boss '1 are elongated depressions 10 which communicate with the groove 9. The metal in the casting 6 above these depressions is thickened as at 11 to provide ample strength. These portions or bosses 11 are bored through as at 12 for receiving the shanks 13 of the special T-head 'bolts 14. An elongated substantially U-shaped bendable member 15 having cars 16 is provided with bosses 17 Which seat snugly into depressions 1G in the casting, the remainder of the top contour of the member 15 seating snugly in groove 9 in the casting. As will be noted from Figs. 1 and 2 the special T-heads 14 of'the bolts are shaped on the side adjacent the shank to seat snugly and Without play in the depressions 18 occasioned by forming the bosses 17. These bolts, by reason of the elongated head seating in the depressions 18 are not rotatable so that the binding nuts 19 for the shanks of the bolts may be easily put on and removed. The bottom face 20 of the head 14 is of a size and shape such as to form the complement of the inner U-shaped face of the bendable ear structure when the nut 19 is driven securely down on the top of boss 11.

The devices may be initially assembled and sent out to the job with the bendable ear structure 15 connected thereto. In hanging Wires the threaded sockets 8 receive the depending studs (not shown) for the line supports, whereupon the trolley wire 21 is inserted between the arms or cars 16 so that it seats in the groove and contacts the arcuate face 20 of the bolts 14 and the inner face of the bendable ear structure 15. The arms or ears 16 are then hammered or peined about the wire until they form a substantially complete tube about the wire. The ends 22 are tapered away in the wellknown manner to afiord smooth and even passage of the trolley wheels.

If a feed Wire is to be connected with a trolley wire at any point, it is only necessary to remove one of the nuts 19 and insert the feed I Wire terminal 23 in position over shank l3 and again replace nut 19. This feature is a matter of considerable saving in time and expense when connecting the ends of the feed wires to the trolley wires.

When, after a period of service the tubular bendable trolley wire holder becomes worn to the exten that replacement is necessary, the lineman may remove the nuts 19 and thereupon pull the member 15 and bolts 14 free of the casting. The bendable member 15 by this time having been worn quite thin is very readily separated from the trolley wire 21 whereupon a new bendable member 15 is inserted, and the bolts replaced, after which connection to the casting and bending of the metal about the trolley wire is quickly effected.

The bosses 17, it should be noted, take the impact which is imparted lengthwise of the bendable member by the usual trolley wheel and pole as the locomotive passes the wire hangers. In the embodiment of Fig. 1 the'head of the bolt further strengthens the boss 1'7 but no shearing force is transmitted to the shank 13.

The device of Fig. 7 difiers from that of Fig. 1 in that casting 6 has a depression 100 (or a plurality of them if desired) at some distance from the bolt hole 12 and that the bendable ear structure carries bosses 170 to correspond with the depressions. The bolts 130 are headless, being fixed to the bendable member by spot welding or otherwise.

In the device as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the bendable member 150 has a substantially flat top and is screw threaded to receive studs 1300. The casting 60 has a depending boss 1700 and the bendable member has a receiving depression 1000. The relation of said boss and depression may of course be reversed.

In each of the forms shown the bendable ear structure is removably mounted on a practically permanent casting and cooperating means on the casting and ear structure are provided to take up the longitudinal impact of the trolley wheel which tends to displace the ear structure and to shear the mounting or securing means.

What is claimed is:

1. In a renewable trolley wire hanger the combination of a supporting member having a depending boss, a bendable wire receiving member seating on the supporting member and having a depression receiving said boss and a removable threaded stud and nut for securing the members together.

2. In a device of the class described the combination of a supporting member, a bendable v CLARENCE A. CAWOOD. 

